United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appreciates the diplomatic efforts by all parties to put an end to the conflict in Iran based on international law and the UN Charter, his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Monday.
Dujarric also said that after meeting with the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian last week, Guterres arranged a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Monday afternoon. He said this was part of the secretary-general's ongoing diplomatic engagement, aimed at supporting the diplomatic efforts currently under way and providing assistance to the mediators working to end the conflict.
"Diplomacy takes time. It takes patience. It requires political courage more than testosterone. I think the secretary-general appreciates all the diplomatic efforts we've seen on the sidelines of the General Assembly, including on putting an end to the conflict in Iran. But there were thousands of bilateral meetings, discussions. Diplomacy is a process. We want to see an end to these conflicts, based on international law, based on the Charter, and we will continue to push for that," he said.
On Feb 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.
On June 18, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending the war in the region on all fronts, including Lebanon. Under the MoU, they were scheduled to hold negotiations within a period of 60 days, which ended on Aug 17, to reach a final agreement, but the talks' fate remains unclear following a series of recent escalations between the two countries.
UN chief supports all diplomatic efforts to end Iran conflict: spokesperson
A massive dragon boat race was held in Foshan City in southern China's Guangdong Province on Sunday, with 282 teams competing along a grueling 30-kilometer water course, drawing constant cheers from spectators.
As soon as the whistle sounded, 1,410 athletes battled it out, navigating tight turns and jostling for position to overtake across the wide Jili River, with the flying oars churning up layers of spray.
"Two to three hundred boats set off together on the wide Jili River. Such a scene is truly spectacular," said a Foshan resident.
"A competition of this scale and this level of excitement is usually only held during holidays. We planned early to come from Hong Kong to watch it," said Law Wing-chun, a tourist from Hong Kong.
It set a Guinness World Record for the largest five-person dragon boat endurance marathon. In addition to cities in the Greater Bay Area comprising Hong Kong, Macao, and nine cities in Guangdong Province, it also attracted teams from outside the province, including Shanghai and Hangzhou, for the first time.
"It is a full 30 kilometers. We truly rely on sheer willpower to make it to the finish line. We end up taking ninth place and are absolutely delighted. Thank you to the people of Foshan for the warm welcome," said Chen Xingke, a member of the Hangzhou dragon boat team.
"This year's trip here is definitely worth it. The atmosphere here is something you don't find elsewhere. It is truly fun and exciting to compete alongside so many top-level athletes," said Deng Chengjun, a member of the Shanghai dragon boat team.
The dragon boat race kicked off the local consumption season for the National Day holiday which will begin on Thursday. Foshan will hold more than 350 cultural, tourism and sports events and more than 400 consumption promotion activities to spur diverse consumption formats.
Grand dragon boat race draws big crowds in Foshan
